Food in remote communities

01/09/2026

We found that almost 1 in 3 homes in very remote WA communities had no food stored in their fridge, freezer or pantry. That means NO food in that home for the family. Data from the healthy kitchen audits also identified that 20% of homes did not have a fridge or freezer.
Read more in our recently published article-
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hpja.70244 Christina Pollard Mel Stoneham Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia - AHCWA Gary Heir Matthew Lester Melissa Sweet Curtin University

Introduction Food insecurity contributes substantially to the gap in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians, particularly in remote comm...

31/08/2026

The National Farmers Well-being Report shows that Two-in-five farmers are considering leaving the industry due to financial pressure, workforce challenges, natural disasters, policy concerns and ongoing operational strain- creating
uncertainty about Australia’s long-term food security: https://www.nine.com.au/australia-news/the-silent-issue-making-experts-worry-about-australia-s-long-term-food-security-20260821-p60qdy.html Christina Pollard Mel Stoneham

“Industries can die if we do not support them.”

15/07/2026

The Queensland Government has not extended funding to the Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme which is expected to have harmful impacts upon food security for communities, with consequences for health and wellbeing. https://www.croakey.org/queensland-government-decision-hits-food-security-in-remote-communities/
Croakey - Informed, engaged communities for health Christina Pollard Mel Stoneham

Queensland Budget documents indicate that funding to the Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme will decrease from $29.4 million in 2025-26 to $4.4 million in 2026-27, according to experts on food security policies.

09/06/2026

This is a great initiative. But it’s time to roll it out to remote stores that are independently run or owned by communities Christina Pollard Croakey - Informed, engaged communities for health Mel Stoneham

The federal government says it has reached an early milestone in its efforts to build a locally led nutrition workforce in remote First Nations communities, with 21 'Good Food People' now employed in ...

04/05/2026

Handwashing is important for food safety too! Environmental Health Trachoma Project World Health Organization (WHO)

01/05/2026

Meet Takilisi from Yulella Aboriginal Corporation. He delivers food packages via the community-led Vision shop, to families in Meekatharra every Tuesday and Wednesday! What a great initiative to promote food security in remote communities 🙏 Gary Heir Christopher Rusten Mel Stoneham Curtin University Christina Pollard Roger Cook

22/04/2026

This is simple ingenuity. Invest less than 2 minutes to hear how Yulella Aboriginal Corporation is addressing food insecurity in their communities. Simple idea but filling so many gaps. Congratulations 🏆 Gary Heir Christopher Rusten Mel Stoneham Christina Pollard Curtin University Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia - AHCWA Roger Cook

09/04/2026

And that’s a wrap on the data collection phase of the project. Now we deal with the enormous amount of data, so stay tuned for results. The team would like to sincerely thank all the Environmental Health Workers, remote families and community stores who supported this important work. Here’s a couple of photos from our last visit in Wiluna. Mel Stoneham Christina Pollard Christopher Rusten Gary Heir Amanda Lee Curtin University Ngangganawili Aboriginal Health Service

09/04/2026

A remote Aboriginal community in Western Australia has six weeks' worth of food remaining and no truck driver is willing to travel down the notorious road to reach it. This is a food security crisis & action is needed: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-09/punmu-roads-pilbara-community-food-supplies-running-out/106534374?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web Gary Heir Christopher Rusten Mel Stoneham Christina Pollard Environmental Health Trachoma Project

A remote Aboriginal community in Western Australia has six weeks' worth of food remaining and no truck driver is willing to travel down the notorious road to reach it.